Hi, so here's my big news... most of you prob know but if not, Tim was offered a job in July and accepted it so we are moving to Derbyshire!! We spent the summer looking at houses and have put an offer in for this property below. We are soooo excited. I have had to keep it quiet as I didn't want it to get out to parents at my school before my hea dteacher announced it. I handed in my notice at beginning of term to leave at Christmas. They are now appointing a new teacher next week. Parents got told tonight!

I am gutted to be leaving Milverton as I love it there SO much but at the same time I am so excited about moving into a new home with Tim and starting our 'grown up life' together, seeing he has been a student for 7 years it is about time!!!

Our house is in Belper. It is a four bedrooomed property with a dining room, ounge, kitchen, 2 bathrooms and a garden! We can't wait to complete and move in. It needs quite a lot of work doing to it but we are looking froward to the challenge and a project!

So right now I am aplpying for jobs and we are just waiting for house stuff to go through, all looking good so far!

No other news, although i feel that this news is exciting enough to last ages!!! Will keep you posted on how it all goes.

Tim officially finishes his PHD today so his supervisor has taken him out for drinks. I am enjoying eating garlic bread an dpizza and watching girly TV, love it!!

Chat again, soon, Gemma xxxx

Hello,

still no gossip this end. School going really well, am on top of it all at the moment and enjoying working with my new class, they are lovely, a bit noisy but hey they are children, it's their right! Anyway, so Tim and I had some engagement photos done with our photographer this summer and they have been put on his website... it is really cringy looking at so many photos of ourselves but he did actually take some really good ones, as well as some horrendous jumping in the air ones... was definitely a bonding experience between Tim and I!! Very funny! The things we do in the name of love...! It has made me even more excited (if that is possible) about getting married, I know it is still ages away but we do need to start sorting things out now which is SO MUCH FUN!

Anyway, back to the here and now, Tim has been growing some sunflowers since spring time in a competition against his mum or who can grow the tallest and biggest sunflower. Well Judith (Tim's mum) grew really tall ones with tiny little sunflower heads at the top which flowered in July, and Tim's took AGES to even get taller than a metre which is ridiculous for sunflowers, but since September has FINALLY started to get sunny his have started to get taller and this week a flower grew!!! So above are a few photos of it, isn't it beautiful?!

We are off to Stratford tomorrow for a walk along the river and maybe have a bit of a shop, I love Stratford so much!

Chat soon, Gemma xxxx

Hi,

I know I promised photos next time I posted but I really haven't ben near my camera or done anything exciting to justify taking photos!!! I am back at school and feeling tired and coming down with a cold/sore throat already!! Can you believe it! Those germy little children just saved up all their germs over the summer hols to pass on to me...

Work wise I am in control but already counting down the days to half term, only 6 weeks to go!!

Tim is busy busy busy writing up his phd and so now doesn't have to get up early. So now I have to get up on my own in the mornings, it's so not fair, I just want to stay curled up snuggling in bed with him (sorry mum!)

So I have no news at all. Chat really soon when more exciting things have happened my end!
hugs, Gemma x

Hello,
So I have been awful at taking photos these past 2 weeks. I am usually good at that but have been enjoying myself too much to even think about getting my camera out!
SO... I went to oxford last week to try on my ACTUAL wedding dress, so exciting. I have set up my first fitting in October (needs to be done early so myum can do her thing!! Just means I can't loose too much weight after the fitting... what a hardship...!)
Then I went to Atherstone to see my friend Sarah after about 2 years of not seeing her. Was good to catch up and hear all her gossip!
Then Tim and I went to Belper for the day followed by driving back down to Oxford for our fridns birthday BBQ! Was great to see my guernsey friends again. Tim quite enjoyed it too as he and Jason are now planning a climbing trip to Austria in the next month! They are mad!!!
Then I got back from Oxford had a day to rest then drove down to Brighton to see my uni friend Anna! So much fun to catch up, plus she lives in a great little flat by the sea so we got to have a BBQ on the beach, heavenly! Followed by a day of shopping on Tuesday. Anna is amazing - I had budgeted £100 for shoes and £100 for a nice underwear set for my wedding and ended up finding gorgeous shoes for £22 from BHS and a lovely underwear set from debenhams for £38!! So technically I have saved £140 to spend elsewhere!!! GREAT! Thanks Anna for helping me find some amazing bargains!
So after Brighton I came back up to Leam and have spent this week meeting up with school friends, sorting MOT and car tax and starting to think about school... argh!!!! Can't believe how quickly six weeks has gone.
Well next time I blog I promise to have some photos to share, even if they are of just tim and me!
Chat soon, Gemma xx

Hello, so we are back from our hols. We had a great time but it went far too quickly. It is so not fair when you look forward to something for so long and it all just comes and goes so fast, how on earth am I going to be after my wedding! I will have planned it and got excited for almost 2 years... I think Tim and I will have to pick somewhere really great for our honeymoon to make the brilliant ness of being married last for ages!! Here is a photo of us at our wedding venue, most big wedding stuff is all sorted now just the finer details to now do, fun fun fun!!!! Tim skimming at Bordeaux...

For those of you coming to our wedding here is the front of St Pierre Park (just so on the day you know you have come to the right place!). Tim has been busy this holiday starting setting up our wedding website. It looks great, so we will let you know the web address as soon as we have finished it. The website will give you loads of info on Guernsey and how to get here and where to stay (Thanks Sam and Nick for the idea!).

Tim collecting beautiful little shells from Oyster Point for wedding stuff, won't tell you what for yet as it will be a surprise!!

Tim at L'Ancresse. We were so lucky with weather the first week but since last Sunday it has been rain rain rainy... Not fair, we still had a great week but really is such a shame. This summer weather wise has officially sucked! Let's hope next summer will be better, I missed out on swimming daily so will have to make up for it next year by having extra swims!!!

I had to add this to my blog even though we take the exact same picture every year. Even in this last week of horrible weather we were still able to enjoy this gorgeous jacuzzi with glasses of champagne (well we were on holiday!!!)

Tim and I on L'Ancresse, was a windy day so no swims that day...

This photo is for those of you who knew marmalade my cat. He died a month or so ago. The weirdest thing however has happened. One morning (I think Mum said it was a day or so after marmalade died) this tiny ginger cat turned up in our garden!! I had such a bl***y shock when he appeared one morning when we were there, had to take a double take to make sure it wasn't Marmalade... very bizarre. The funniest thing is he seems to like our house and also appeared one evening on the top of our fridge!!! We don't know how long he had been up there but seemed to like it. He wanders off at the end of us cuddling him to a house at the back of us so I guess he already has a home. It is nice to have a cat about to cuddle though...

We are calling him Charlie as he seems to respond to this. Look how much like Marmalade he looks... weird!!!

Well no more news from me, back in Leamington now. We have unpacked but seeing we got up to get the red eye at 5am we are pretty tired. Having dinner then getting an early night. We have a busy week ahead so will update you later on. Huge hugs xxxxxx

Hello, we are still having a great holiday in guernsey, the weather has been amazing! Making the most of it today as the forecast is not good for next week, oh well, I am still swimming no matter what the weather!!!
We have been very busy doing wedding stuff and have also fitted in a day trip to herm, lots of swims, lots of jacuzzis and lots of wine! We had fish and chips on the beach yesterday before meeting a whole load of my school friends for drinks in town. Was great to catch up and hear how all our lives are changing! Very exciting things happening this year for all of us!

Here is a picture taken a year exactly to the day of our wedding at our wedding venue. Can't you just imagine me in my lovely white dress????!!! Tim and I on our way to Herm to collect shells, lie on beach, swim lots and drink cider!!! Was a fun day out and scorching hot weather! Will miss the sea so much when we have to come home.

Just wanted to share the amazing ness that is Herm. This was taken at 11am looking across shell beach. All those crazy people who headed to spain for sardine packed beaches are missing out on 25 degrees sunshine on empty sandy white beaches....!!! It doesn't get better than this!

From left to right - Claire (very pregnant!!!), Pippa, Verienne, Me, Katie, Greta and Holly, in the Albion wine bar, used to be one of our favourites when we were sixth formers!!

Well would put on more photos but we are off out in a bit for dinner in town! Hope you are all having fun wherever you are. We have a big day planned tomorrow with all our family coming round for dinner YEY! and Tim wants to do some fishing!!! Chat again soon xxxx

Hello, so annie and pete's wedding was lovely. Very busy with sorting things day before and on the day but we really enjoyed ourselves, tim and annabel's mum and dad were stars and did so much before and on the day. All in all a great wedding, very romantic and dancing barn dance stylee was fun! I also got to finally meet all of tim's family - no-one left to meet now.

We are now in guernsey and loving it, only been here for a day but already feeling relaxed and chilling out with a glass of wine. Mum and I have had a swim at bordeaux, tim chickened out and pretended to do work instead (ok so actually he is working hard on his phd writing up but still... I want him to swim with me!!)

Tomorrow we are relaxing round here and at the beach then wednesday we are heading to herm! YEY! collecting shells and swimming, I am sure I can get tim in the sea at Belvoir bay! I will keep you posted.

HUgs, hope you are all enjoying the summer sunshine,
gemma x

Hi all,

I just wanted to say WOHOOOOOO WE ARE OFF ON OUR SUMMER HOLIDAY!!! WOHOOOOOOO!!

So, Tim has now finished work and we are busy packing tonight to drive down to kent for Annabel's and Peter's wedding on saturday! Then we fly to guernsey on sunday! So exciting and much needed.

I have been madly busy today with spring cleaning... okay so I know it is really sumemr cleaning but feels like spring with this rain we have been having. Luckily looks like weather is eventually turning and sunshine is here... fingers crossed will stay now FOREVER!!!!

I also wanted to show you my new wellies! I always wanted some nice ones and I always need them down at tim's for walking in fields and stuff, better than flip flops (especially as we saw an adder last time we were there). Do you like???? (sorry for fuzzy hair, I have really been cleaning all day and sorry for whiter than white daz bright legs... I need some sun!)...

Better go now and keep on packing, chat soon, Gemma xxxx

p.s. Ant I want some photos.

p.p.s Beth I can't find your blog???? how do I search for it, am being thick and can't work it out...!!!???

Sorry for the order of these photos! I am too tired to sort them out. I just wanted to show you photos of Fi and Adam's wedding day. It really was lovely, very romantic! It went perfectly and they both looked stunning and very happy.

We had a great day. We went to Laura and David's first and then on to the venue. Her surname was 'Green' so the theme of the day was the colour green! Was fab, all the tables were named after different shades of green and the cake and bridesmaid matched too. The men all had very smart suits with green ties. Really really lovely! Gave Tim and I lots of ideas for our special day!!

We then stayed at Laura and David's the night and this morning Laura cooked us amazing bacon baps, just what we needed. So anyway, here are some of my photos...

The first dance... Confetti throwing, bad timing on my part - I should have let Tim take this one!!

Cutting the cake

Adam's mum made the cake and I think a friend decorated it, was so yummy!

Laura and I looking gorgeous, even if I do say so myself!

Due to this horrendous weather we have had Laura and Adam hired loads of white brollies. So it was fun to do lots of photos with them, here is Fiona and her bridesmaid Sarah...

Adam and Fi

Tim, David and Laura

The Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom, just to give you some ideas of outfits Mum!!!

Me, Fiona and Laura

Tim and I

Floods in July!

Hi, so this is what leamington looked like at the start of my summer holidays! These photos were taken by a friend on saturday when we were in london. I can't believe that our flat was unaffected... so so lucky!

BRIDESMAIDS!!!!!!!!!

Ant, mum and me Mum and Auntie Diane

Helen, me and ant

Me and my godmother!!

Me and my sis

The colour of the dresses!!! (I won't put a picture on here as the girls looked stunning but is always best to leave it to WOW people on the day I think!!)

So... our crazy week and weekend has come to an end...

Work was great during the last week, I felt like I was babysitting a bit but tried to do educational things as well as letting the children relax and tidying my classroom! We did lots of seaside stuff like making boats and doing floating and sinking activities, sports day, art, number problems involving ice creams etc etc. Good fun and time actually really flew by!

We went to Jan's retirement doo on tuesday which was fun and had a few glasses of wine along with winning our skittles game!

Then end of term came along with A LOT of rain... all day infact on the last day of the 'summer' term so no playtimes either, children and teachers were soooo tired by the end of it. I then had a huge stress as we were meant to be driving down to my aunite diane's to meet her, mum, ant and sophie but the M40 was closed and traffic jams for miles... I cried a lot and didn't really know what to do. I really wanted to see the girls and especially my sister. Luckily we decided to just GO FOR IT at about 7pm and must have just started clearing as the motorway was slow but moving. We got there about half 9 to be greeted by a very drunk ant and sophie and tipsy mum and auntie diane! Was so good to catch up and I then drank lots too, tim was good and had one glass and a cup of tea. (Should have done the same as Sophie and I stayed up later than the rest to clear of anothe bottle of wine!)

I was a little hungover the next morning as we had to get up early to meet Helen in london and go BRIDESMAID DRESS SHOPPING!!! WOHOOOO!!! It really was so much fun. We all had a fab day. Tim went off to meet dave whilst us ladies headed straight to debenhams. We went to coast first and picked up a few dresses, ant tried some on and we found 2 we really liked. Helen then arrived and tried them both on and she really liked one of them, so they both got into the same one and they both looked so stunning!!! They really liked them and so did mum, diane and me!! So after our first trying on session we felt we deserved a coffee and cake break in debenhams cafe... we thought it was too good to be true to find a bridesmaid dress we all loved within half an hour of being in London so we put them to the side and carried on shopping for another few hours. We had lunch in a little tapas place off oxford street and shopped a bit more afterwards. We decided at about 2pm that we really did love the first dresses we found so went back and tried them on again, had a quick photo session and just went for it!! so we now have our beautiful dresses! They are currently flying back to Guernsey with mum and we will have fittings next easter when ant is over for seonaids wedding!

sorry for long blog, but I am just so excited and had to write it all down! For my own memory as much as for anyone else. I had better go now as we just got back home to a flooded leamington, luckily our flat is ok but was worried for a while...!

chat soon, Gemma xxxxxx

Hi,

so cabbage soup diet went well all week, I lost 4lbs. Then friday night I had a bottle of wine with Tim and maybe one or two yummy treats and wake up Saturday morning 2lbs heavier... so dieting officially sucks. Unless I starve myself I will pretty much be this weight, I know I am not fat, I'm just not toned. So as of this weekend I am now going to try to focus on exercise! (which I hate). I am going to try and still be healthy (seeing I am now 2 lbs lighter), this week has inspired me to eat loads more veg and fruit. Maybe I can tone up for my bikini this summer!

Tim and I all dressed up on Friday night - although actually looking at this photo you can't actually see my lovely outfit, but I am wearing my lovely new eye shadow...

My gorgeous fiance doing work in the first tiny bit of sunshine we had in leam, these are our new deck chairs and our new windbreak - to give us a bit of privacy in our lack of garden!

Me and my cider spritzer! (Trying to be healthy by mixing cider with diet lemonade - also makes it last longer!) p.s. do you like my new skirt from warehouse?

BYE xxxxxx